


Cherish

by Reda



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: -cries-, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Friendship/Love, IF I GET FEEDBACK, M/M, Romance, Unrequited Love, guys collections are all a grab bag of whatever the fck, i do this cause i love it, i get addicted to any list i can use as prompts, i might go higher, i raised the rating, i wonder if i'll manage to do all 100 this time, in a prompt, maybe more later - Freeform, more tags to come, one of these days..., so come on, so it's at T now, test it out, that's k tho i don't need feedback, to be safe, we'll see, you know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-01 09:23:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15771258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reda/pseuds/Reda
Summary: A collection of drabbles highlighting small moments in the life of Guy and Luke. Pre-game, post-game, in-game, all around whatever I feel like. From experiencing the new fontech that Guy makes, to holding each other in the rain when things get tough. From already having an established relationship, to still being in denial, to confessing. I don't know. We'll see how much fun we can have.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Cherish  
> Fandom: Tales of the Abyss  
> Pairing: Guy x Luke  
> Prompt: #1 “Pull over. Let me drive for awhile.”  
> Words: 505  
> A/N: Prompts taken from “One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I Love You’" by p0ck3tf0x on tumblr. Found this list thanks to Ao3 user violetstorm using it for Asch/Natalia. I just love prompt lists of any kind so I wanted to try my hand at it with my favorite two.

 

Guy slowed his speed on the motorbike until it came to a stop. Lifting his goggles to his forehead, he glanced back at Luke. Luke, who was clinging tightly to his waist, had yet to open his eyes. Guy smiled as he dropped a foot to the ground to keep his balance.

“You all right there, Luke?” He asked. “I thought I heard you say something.”

Luke’s grip around his waist barely relaxed at all even as green eyes opened, not that Guy minded the contact in the least. “Y-yeah. I told you to pull over.”

Feeling a patient smile forming on his face, Guy hummed. “All right. I stopped. What’s wrong? Was it too fast?”

“N-no, it’s not that.”

Luke shook his head and buried his face into Guy’s back. Guy could almost feel the new warmth through his fontech work jacket and wondered if Luke was trying to hide a blush. He wouldn’t be surprised.

Whether Luke would admit it or not, Guy was pretty sure his boyfriend was freaked out by the ride. The motorbike Guy had designed was way different from anything he’d made before, or at least a far bigger scale than the toys he’d made in the past. It was far more open than a coach or ship, too, and riding in the back without any belt to hold them down meant Luke had to put _complete_ trust in Guy. No wonder the red-head was clinging so tightly.

“It’s not a big deal, Luke,” Guy said, keeping his smile. “You won’t hurt my feelings if you want to stop.”

“It’s not that either!” Luke exclaimed, lifting his face to glare at Guy. “I trust you, Guy. I just -”

Tilting his head, Guy blinked. “You just what?”

“I just want to switch places with you!”

Guy stared back at Luke, unsure how to react. Switch places? Despite what Luke had said about trusting him, Guy still worried that his friend _didn’t_ trust in him to keep them safe. What had he done wrong? He’d gone too fast too quickly after all, hadn’t he?

“Luke...”

“Oh, don’t give me that look, Guy,” Luke murmured as his hands moved up to grab his collar to tug him down and push their lips together. “I trust you, okay? It just – it looks like fun so -”

Cheeks flushing, Guy’s brain took half a second to catch up. “O-oh. Okay, yeah, sure. I’ll lead you through it from behind, then.”

Luke nodded, muttering under his breath as they awkwardly switched places. “Yeah, don’t let me mess up.”

Smiling, Guy dropped a kiss to the side of Luke’s mouth before climbing up behind him. His hands went over Luke’s and he set his chin on Luke’s shoulder. He could definitely feel the warmth emanating from his boyfriend now.

Biting back a chuckle, Guy whispered. “I won’t. And even if I can’t stop you from wrecking us, I’ll be behind you to catch you. No delay this time.”

_No delay or backtracking ever again._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Cherish  
> Fandom: Tales of the Abyss  
> Pairing: Guy x Luke  
> Prompt: #2 “It reminded me of you.”  
> Words: 818

 

Sitting back on his bed, Guy groaned. His room was a mess. Pere was going to berate him about it whenever the old man returned to the room they shared. Especially since most of the clutter was fon machine related. Piles of parts and half-finished projects were scattered everywhere, as if a storm had rushed through in search of something particular to steal, tossing everything else haphazardly in the room.

Why anyone would steal his favorite wrench was beyond him, though, and he couldn’t see why he would go and misplace it, either.

Groaning again, Guy brought a hand to his forehead and tried to rub away the forming headache. Luke was finally asleep after almost an hour trying to lay the sick kid down for a nap. And Guy was ready to kick back, relax, and work his brain on a new fun project. Luke would be excited to have a new toy once he was well, after all.

Only there was one problem with that plan. One thing holding him back from his hobby. One thing stopping him from making a new gift for the young master.

His _wrench_ was still missing.

The door to his room opened and he sat up to meet Pere’s quiet sigh. “Gailardia, did you lose something?”

With another groan, Guy flopped back on the bed. “Yeah.”

“What could it be?” Pere asked, already moving around to clear up the clutter. “I can help you search, if you want.”

“No offense, but I doubt you can help,” Guy muttered. “I must’ve misplaced it and forgotten about it. No doubt Ramdas has already moved it into Duke Fabre’s tool box or something.”

“Ah,” Pere hummed. “So you lost your wrench.”

Guy winced as he sat up. Was it that obvious? Man, that wrench had a silly history of sentimental value behind it, too. Something Pere had bought for him once his hobby – or obsession – became apparent.

He felt awful about having lost it, but catching Pere’s knowing smile made him pause. “Wait. Did you see it somewhere?”

The old man focused his attention on de-cluttering the messy room as he hummed an old tune to himself. “I think I might have noticed a certain young master pilfering a certain tool into his bedroom.”

Guy sprang off the bed. “ _Luke_ has it?”

There was no reason to doubt Pere, a man still loyal to the Gardios name even as they masqueraded as servants. But why would _Luke_ snatch his wrench? The boy hadn’t shown any interest in fon machinery except for playing with the toys Guy made him. So why sneak into his room and take a tool?

Nevermind the concerning thought that Luke was sneaking into his room in the first place. He’d have to be careful of other things now, not just his tools and projects. Damn kid. Why did he have to be such a handful?

Guy sighed as he stepped around his mess. “Guess I’ll go check on Luke, then. Sorry about the mess, Pere. I’ll come clean it up later.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem, Gailardia,” Pere said, eyes gentle and understanding. “You go explain rules of privacy to the young master. You’re the only one he listens to, after all.”

“Hah,” Guy scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

Ignoring the disagreement from Pere, Guy left his room and made his way through the manor to a certain open window of a certain young master’s room. Luke’s window was always open, regardless if his door was locked or not. Well, so long as it wasn’t raining, of course.

Guy peeked into the window and ignored the clench in his stomach at the sight of the kid tossing and turning on his bed. It wasn’t a terrible sickness. Just a simple cold with a small fever. Apparently, Luke was as whiny in his sleep as he was in real life, though.

With a sigh, Guy climbed through the window and knelt by the red-headed kid’s bedside. The blankets were a tangled mess among the child’s limbs, and thanks to that, a single wrench was easily visible. Wrapped in Luke’s arms. Weird kid. Why was he treating Guy’s wrench like some sort of stuffed animal?

A puff of air left his lips as he whispered, “What am I going to do with you, Luke?”

“Hnnn,” Luke whined, eyes opening to slits. “Guy? Yay, you came.”

“Were you waiting on me?”

A weak laugh escaped from the kid’s mouth before he nodded. “Mmhmm.”

Reaching over, Guy gently pried his wrench from Luke’s grip. The boy let go easily. He seemed happy with anything so long as Guy was there. That innocent trust would be the brat’s undoing one day.

But for now…

Guy smiled as he pulled the kid’s blankets up to better cover him. All while those childish green eyes glowed as they watched him. For now, Guy was content being Luke’s concerned servant.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guy had already confessed. Now Luke battles his own feelings, his own uncertainty, as they share a meal at a seaside restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Cherish  
> Fandom: Tales of the Abyss  
> Pairing: Guy x Luke  
> Prompt: #3 “No, no, it’s my treat.”  
> Words: 636

 

Bright blue colors cascaded around the restaurant. Grand Chokmah had a much more open atmosphere than the confining towers of Baticul. Bright, spacious, inviting, and overall filled with calm pleasantries among the sound of nearby gentle waterfalls.

Or maybe Luke only thought so highly of the city because it wasn’t the city where he’d been confined in one place for years. Baticul didn’t exactly have the greatest memories as far as freedom. Grand Chokmah had one other thing in its favor, though. Nowadays, this was where he could find Guy.

The bright blue eyes that stood out even surrounded by the oceanic blue. Short blond hair still cut and styled the way it’d always been. And a smile that never died, especially not when sharing a seafood meal at a seaside restaurant.

It had been far too long since he’d gotten to hang out with just Guy. Longer for Guy, since Luke’s sense of time had been warped in those years he had been perceived dead. Too long, yet long enough to realize what his strong feelings toward Guy actually meant.

So, was this a date, then?

Guy had already confessed over a bottle of wine late one night, but Luke still sat here unsure what to make of his feelings. It was a hard thing to take in and accept. His best friend for all those years had been secretly in love with him, even if he’d fought waves of denial for most of it.

Meanwhile, Luke…

He sighed, catching Guy’s eyes instantly. “What’s wrong, Luke?”

“Nothing,” he mumbled. “Just thinking.”

“Sorry.”

Luke glared at his friend for the apology, but Guy was already buried in his crab legs again. Ever since he had confessed, Guy had been apologizing, taking full responsibility for the supposed awkwardness that wavered between them. Luke didn’t feel any awkwardness, though. Just uncertainty.

It was a lot to think about and right now he was finally noticing all the little things he had taken for granted for so long. He didn’t want to leave Guy again. He knew he had to give up on Guy being his servant because his friend was actually Gailardia Galan Gardios, a Count with Malkuth loyalties, a fact Luke couldn’t ignore anymore now that he was spending so much time in Grand Chokmah.

But still… he didn’t want to leave. He wanted Guy to stay by his side. Was that the ache of love or just a want to return to the familiar?

The uncertainty was eating him up from the inside.

Eventually, the bill came for their meal and Luke snatched it from Guy’s fingers. “Let me pay.”

“Huh?” Guy blinked, hands still poised to hold the bill as if frozen in time. “Luke, you’re my guest, though, so -”

“No,” Luke huffed. “You’re always doing stuff for me. I don’t think I’ve ever… I want to return the favor.”

There it was: Guy’s gentle smile. “Luke...”

“Don’t argue with me, Guy,” Luke said, reaching for his own money pouch. “I’ve made up my mind. This is your favorite restaurant, isn’t it?”

Guy nodded, gentle smile still present, blue eyes soft. “Yeah, but I took you here. You’re the one visiting Grand Chokmah.”

There. Guy was still in denial. Not only for his own feelings but for the mere possibility that Luke could feel the same. Sure, Luke wasn’t ready to say it with full conviction, but...he could make a starting gesture at least.

“I’m not visiting the city, Guy,” Luke said, meeting those blue eyes, catching the shock that flashed through them. “I’m visiting _you_ and this is my treat. So, no more complaining, all right?”

A small chuckle escaped Guy as he raised his hands in surrender. “All right, Luke. You win.”

_Damn right I do. I always win. I have you._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Luke has hidden himself away and it's up to Guy to find the young master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Cherish  
> Fandom: Tales of the Abyss  
> Pairing: Guy x Luke  
> Prompt: #4 “Come here. Let me fix it.”  
> Words: 835

 

Luke was missing.

The maids scrambled around the manor, turning it on its head in an effort to find the young master. Guy did his best to avoid them at every turn. With them so focused on finding Luke, there was no concern whatsoever for Guy’s personal phobia. Eventually, he gave up on dodging all the panicked maids and stepped outside into the garden courtyard for a breath of fresh air.

He didn’t really care if Luke was missing again. He’d had quite enough of the spoiled little brat. Masquerading as a servant for this family was driving him nuts, but being put in charge of Luke specifically tested his patience. If he could make it work out, Guy would have killed the kid in his sleep by now.

But, no…

Not yet. He still needed to wait. He wanted Duke Fabre to suffer. How was he supposed to do that when the duke showed such little concern for his son?  
  
Ever since Luke had been returned to them after the kidnapping, the family dynamics had shifted. Duke Fabre was clearly disappointed in what his son had become, so killing Luke now wouldn’t be cause for suffering. Not anywhere close to what Guy had experienced in losing everyone close to him.

So why bother searching for Luke now? Let the kid die off on his own. He was practically useless like this anyway. Guy could wander around the gardens and pretend to search for Luke, but, really, he didn’t care enough. Just enough to keep up appearances.

The sound of a little boy sobbing quietly must have been Guy’s bad luck showing its face. After hearing those little hiccuping cries, his heart melted a little and he _had_ to follow the sound of its source.

“Luke,” he murmured, standing at the base of a tree. “You’re making everyone worry.”

The young master was high up in the tree, curled up against the trunk and crying into his knees. He showed no sign of reacting to Guy’s presence. He just kept on sobbing. High up away from the rest of the world.

The sight melted Guy’s heart even more and he gave up with a sigh. “Luke, c’mon. It’s dangerous up there. You could fall.”

The time, Guy’s words reached Luke. The red-head lifted his face, tear tracks clear on his cheeks. Guy frowned as he leaned against the tree trunk. Should he climb up? Or would Luke come down on his own?

“It broke,” Luke hiccuped. “Guy, it broke.”

Tilting his head, Guy blinked up at him. “What broke? Are you hurt, Luke?”

The boy shook his head but otherwise didn’t answer. That wasn’t good. If Luke was hurt he needed to either take care of it or call a doctor. But why would he retreat all the way out here? Had someone hurt him? Guy’s face darkened at the very thought.

“I-I’m sorry, Guy,” Luke stammered. “Don’t be angry. I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

An apology from Luke wasn’t exactly a common occurrence. Now Guy was even more worried. With wide eyes, he climbed and hopped up the tree as fast as he could. Resting on the branch in front of Luke, he reached out to set a gentle hand on the boy’s shaking knee.

“It’s okay, Luke,” he said. “I’m not mad. What happened?”

Little green eyes lifted to face him, tears spilling from small lashes. A shaky breath. Another hiccup. Luke was trying so hard to hold in his sobs, probably because his father would yell at him for it if caught.

Hands moved, finally revealing the reason for Luke’s tears. “It broke.”

A toy. Guy relaxed in a rush and did his best to hold back relieved laughter. Luke wasn’t hurt, not physically at least. It was just a broken toy. Something he could fix easily.

Luke trembled while holding the pieces of a wooden car, one of Guy’s own fontech dreams in toy form. “Guy’s not mad?”

“No,” Guy said, shaking his head with a smile. “Guy’s not mad. It’s _your_ toy, Luke. I made it for you, and accidents happen sometimes. It’s okay.”

“Really?”

Letting his smile widen, Guy gave a nod. “Really.”

The shadowed green eyes lit up, dropping tears one last time. Luke brushed his face off with his arm, smudging dirt onto his cheeks in the process. If he didn’t know any better, Guy would have sworn the kid cared more about Guy’s feeling over the broken toy than the toy itself. But that couldn’t be right. Luke was too selfish to worry over upsetting Guy, right?

...right?

With a sigh, Guy shook off that thought and reached for the red-headed young master. “Come here. Let’s get you cleaned up and back to your room. I’ll fix the toy there.”

A small childish grunt was Luke’s only affirmation. Well, that and the fact that the boy wrapped his arms around Guy and clung tightly. Just like he always did.

Sometimes it felt like he would never let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any comments - any at all - I would love to hear it. Thank you for reading. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Guy share a drink. Guy plays the role of supportive best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Cherish  
> Fandom: Tales of the Abyss  
> Pairing: Guy x Luke  
> Prompt: #5 “I’ll walk you home.”  
> Words: 767  
> A/N: This is kinda angsty? I also like Luke/Tear and Guy dealing with an unrequited love, so that’s basically what this scenario is, heh.

 

 

It had been quite some time since Guy had been in Baticul. Ever since the fight against Van and Luke’s sacrifice, he hadn’t really felt a need to go back. After all, this wasn’t his home, especially not anymore. He lived in Grand Chokmah now, a Count in the Malkuth Empire. No real reason to hang out in Baticul anymore.

At least until Luke returned to them. Now Guy was visiting all the time. Any excuse to see Luke had Guy hopping across nation lines in a heartbeat. Even if it meant he ended up in a familiar bar in Baticul, sharing mugs of alcohol with his stressed out best friend.

“Tear’s pregnant,” Luke whined, resting his forehead against the bar counter. “What am I going to do?”

Chest aching, Guy set his alcohol to the side and laid a hand on his friend’s back, underneath the long red hair. “Maybe you two should stop courting in secret, then.”

Luke blinked up at him, green eyes hazed over from all the booze. “Hah? Are you kidding? They still want me to end up with Natalia.”

_They_ being Luke’s parents, His Majesty, and half the royal court in Baticul. Regardless of how Luke and Natalia actually felt about the matter, everyone here was intent on them keeping a childhood promise anyway. Despite the fact that Asch was the one who had made the promise, not Luke.

But, well, Asch hadn’t survived the incident with Lorelei. Luke wasn’t exactly the same, either, saying he had a bit of Asch and a bit of Lorelei inside him now. Still, Luke was Luke. It wasn’t fair to think of him as anyone else.

“You know Natalia doesn’t expect anything from you,” Guy murmured eventually. “You just have to ignore everyone else.”

“Easy for you to say,” Luke mumbled. “You don’t have anyone bugging you to hurry up and get married.”

Guy nearly spat out his drink as he laughed at the absurdly wrong supposition. “Not quite, Luke. I have a mailbox full of proposal requests.”

Luke hummed, sitting up to half-glare at him in his inebriated state. “Then why are you still single?”

A difficult question. Glancing to the side, Guy caught the eye of the old bartender. _He_ knew the truth. So did Pere. And probably Jade as well since that insufferable man put pieces of any puzzle together despite how few clues he held.

But Luke?

Luke was clueless. And as far as Guy was concerned, Luke should remain clueless. It was better for the both of them. Let Luke be happy with Tear. Don’t give him any reason to question or doubt his current happiness. This close friendship was good enough for Guy. And _good enough_ was all he needed.

So, he offered a fake smile as he came up with a way to skirt around the question without giving too much information. “I have eyes for someone who’s taken, so it’s best I just stay single.”

“Ah,” Luke voiced, eyebrows creasing. “So you’re a homewrecker.”

“H-hey, what?” Guy spluttered. “That’s not what I said!”

Luke waved a hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah, but how could you have eyes for someone and not make a move eventually?”

“It’s more possible than you think,” Guy said evenly. “He’s happy. I’d rather he stay happy, even if it’s with someone else.”

“He?”

Feeling his face heat, Guy shot to his feet and pushed his empty mug away. “E-enough about me. Come on. I think that’s plenty of alcohol for one night. Here. I’ll walk you home.”

Thanks to the rush of statements and the fuzziness of Luke’s mind, Luke didn’t question along the previous train of thought anymore. Instead, he stumbled to his feet and swayed as he walked to the exit. Since alcohol didn’t affect Guy near as quickly, he was able to get an arm around his friend and guide his steps.

Luke, apparently, found this to be absolutely hilarious. “Still having to hold my hand to help me walk, huh, Guy?”

“Guess so,” Guy mumbled. “I don’t mind, though.”

“Good,” Luke said. “I like having you around. I miss it. Kind of feels weird for you to be gone all the time now.”

So many phrases came to his mind. So many things he could say in response. How he didn’t like being apart, either. How he wished he could stay by Luke’s side forever. Oh, so many wishes.

All of which he swallowed back and hid beneath his ever-cheerful, ever-present smile. Friendship was good enough. That’s the best he was going to get.

_Good enough_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guy gets called into work. Luke teases him about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Cherish  
> Fandom: Tales of the Abyss  
> Pairing: Guy x Luke  
> Prompt: #6 “Have a good day at work.”  
> Words: 523

 

A summons from His Imperial Majesty Emperor Peony IX was normally a rare event for a member of the royal Malkuth court. A cause for great rejoicing and celebration. To be noticed enough to be summoned was considered a great feat indeed.

For Gailardia Galan Gardios, a summons from the emperor was a weekly occurrence. It was nothing special. Always the same request. The envelope it _came_ in made it look far more important, of course. But when a knock came at his door and his butler handed him the flowery royal request, Guy yawned and then groaned because he knew immediately what he would find inside.

After Guy closed the door, Luke sat up in their bed, his long red hair still tangled up with the sheets. “Who’s the letter from?”

Guy eyed him and resolved not to answer. Instead, he went to the closet to pull out an outfit and get dressed. Luke would tease him as soon as he figured it out, and Luke _would_ figure it out on his own.

Emperor Peony called him once a week without fail for one thing and one thing only. Why did he have to find out that Guy was good with the animals? Why did Jade have to rat him out oh so long ago? He’d never live it down now.

Soon enough, while Guy was slipping on his gloves, Luke leaned back against the bed’s headboard and smirked across the room at him. “Well, those rappigs won’t walk themselves.”

“Oh, shut it,” Guy murmured. “I can’t exactly refuse the emperor, you know.”

“Hm, I wonder,” Luke drawled. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you enjoyed playing servant.”

Guy’s eyes flashed to his partner. Then he met that smirk with one of his own. Two could play at that game.

Walking over to the edge of the bed, Guy leaned down to catch Luke’s lips with his own. The redhead opened his mouth and shoved against Guy forcefully. Soon enough, what he’d intended as a sweet, soft, morning peck became a thirsty, deep, filling moment.

He pulled away with a gasp of breath and chuckled. “Luke, you know you like it when I play the servant in bed so -”

A blush and shove back was his only response. Well, that plus a huff and some words mumbled under Luke’s breath. Guy decided to leave it there, feeling like he had come out on top in the end. Having to walk Emperor Peony’s rappigs wasn’t exactly the best part of his day, but getting a morning like this sure made it worth it.

He had the door open, hum on his lips, when Luke called over to him. “Have a good day at work, _servant_. Your master will be waiting for your return.”

Now _that_ made his face flush and Guy glanced over to see Luke smirking slyly from the bed. He couldn’t think to do much but offer a weak laugh and a small wave in return. Then he was out the door, trying to calm his racing heartbeat and the spreading heat.

_Damn… He got me after all._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Cherish  
> Fandom: Tales of the Abyss  
> Pairing: Guy x Luke  
> Prompt: #7 “I dreamt about you last night.”  
> Words: 660

 

Luke ran a finger along the choker around Guy’s neck, teasing the fabric away from the skin just to feel the warmth underneath. Even out here in the cool air of open earth, Guy was still warm. No doubt because they had drifted together in the middle of the night, seeking each other in their sleep.

After hearing the truth of Guy’s past, Luke was shocked to wake up still tangled in his lover – lover? Friend? Servant? He questioned everything now. If Guy had hated him so much, then why get so close? Was the bond between them an accident? Had he hated that, too?

Was it all an act?

A soft puff of air brushed over his neck and Luke new Guy was awake before the man even opened his eyes. Before the blond hair tickled his ear. Before the tingle of a kiss pecked his jaw. Before Guy whispered his usual morning greeting.

“I dreamt about you last night.”

Normally, Luke would flush and stammer, but today was different. “Did you really?”

He was still questioning. Everything.

Guy sat up to forego the early morning cuddling and Luke had to glance away to avoid the hurt in the blue eyes. He should be the one feeling hurt. His best friend. His closest, most precious person, had been secretly hating him all this time. After everything they had been through.

“You don’t trust me anymore,” Guy stated flatly. “I understand.”

“Do you?” Luke whispered, sitting up from the grass, careful to keep his voice low to avoid waking the others. “I – I don’t know what to believe in anymore, Guy. _Who_ to believe… Everything I grew up believing turned out to be a lie.”

“I love you.”

The words were even. Strong. Insistent. Luke felt his eyes grow as he faced the one who had said them. Gailardia Galan Gardios. No wonder he was so refined for a servant. So knowledgeable. He was a noble in disguise. A noble of an enemy country the whole time…

But as they sat here on the grass around a dead campfire, Luke found that none of that mattered when he looked at Guy. He didn’t see – he _couldn’t_ see him as anything else. He should try. After all, it changed so much.

How could Guy sit there with his legs crossed, with his chin in his hand, blue eyes watery but holding fast? How could Guy say something neither of them had said out loud yet? Now? Of all times – _now?_ And yet look so calm and serious and open and honest – even with his bedhead and wrinkled clothing (and twisted choker than to Luke’s earlier meddling)?

How could he just wait like that?

So patient and understanding. Luke felt his voice crack as he tried to speak. “Guy -”

“If you’re going to question everything anyway, I might as well lay it all out,” Guy said, steady and firm. “If there’s anything I’m going to say that you’re going to believe, then believe this. Denial and complications of the past aside, I love you, Luke. And I’m not going anywhere without you anymore, unless of course, you want to cut ties. Then I’ll leave and -”

“No!” Luke shot up faster than he could think, catching those lips mid word and swallowing them. “No, stay. I’m sorry. I trust you.”

A string of kisses was his response. Something incoherent was mumbled in between them but Luke paid little mind. He shouldn’t have doubted Guy. But at least Guy understood. Patient and understanding.

Someone he could always lean on.

“Hey, Guy,” he whispered. “Do you really dream about me every night?”

Bright blue eyes twinkled as Guy flashed a grin. “Would you believe me if I said ‘yes’?”

Luke blinked. Would he? It seemed so far fetched. And Guy was always spouting off smooth lines without thinking. But…

Meeting the ever-cheerful smile with one of his own, Luke nodded. “Yeah. I do.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern AU: Guy meets Luke for the first time on a train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Cherish  
> Fandom: Tales of the Abyss  
> Pairing: Guy x Luke  
> Prompt: #8 “Take my seat”  
> Words: 879  
> AU Setting: Modern

 

The train was crowded. Guy was glad he had gotten a seat early. One of the perks of starting the route in a small country town, he supposed. Of course having a piglet in his arms on a crowded train gave him all sorts of dirty looks, even if the pet was leashed and well-behaved. People took one look and immediately assumed he was some country bumpkin taking up space.

Guy smiled at every grumbling businessman, every annoyed college student, and every overworked career mom that passed him by. No one asked for his seat and he felt no need to offer. Standing up on a moving train while holding a piglet wasn’t exactly something he wanted to deal with if he didn’t have to. So he smiled and took their heated, jealous gazes in stride.

Pere had raised him to smile at the hardships, after all.

With his family practically wiped off the map thanks to a bad result in a political power struggle, Guy had grown up with the knowledge of his family legacy without the actual connection to his name. No one knew a Gardios was still alive. No one really cared, either.

He watched everyone with a smile, never letting anything bother him. It was all small rude gestures. Nothing worth getting upset over.

Until the redhead and his bodyguards stumbled into the train and glared at the lack of free seats. “Man. What a pain.”

Guy had never met Luke fon Fabre. Never seen him expect on television. Yet there was no mistaking that long red hair, nor the uniforms of the two bodyguards with him. This was Duke Fabre’s son. The son of the man who had _murdered_ Guy’s family.

The squeal of the piglet in his arms alerted Guy to the fact that he was squeezing the poor animal.

“Sorry,” he murmured, as if the piglet could understand him.

“Tch, you better be sorry,” Luke fon Fabre said as he hovered in front of Guy. “I’m on an important diplomatic mission as an ambassador, and you’re taking up a sweat. You and that...thing.”

A scowl formed on Guy’s face before he could wipe it clear, but he quickly forced it away with a smile as he jumped to his feet. “Here, take my seat, Your Grace.”

“Hmph,” Luke grumbled as he immediately flopped into the open seat. “At least _someone_ respects my position. Hey, pig-boy.”

Guy blinked. That was a new one. He glanced down at the piglet in his arms and received a simple grunt for his trouble. Moving the animal to one arm, Guy sighed.

“Yeah?”

Green eyes found his and Guy quickly dropped his gaze to the spoiled teen’s lips. “What’s your name?”

“Huh?”

“Come on, you don’t want me calling you pig-boy the whole trip, do you?”

“Oh, no, uhm, it’s -”

Before he could give his name, the train finally started moving, picking up speed rather suddenly. Since he wasn’t holding onto anything for balance, Guy’s feet stumbled. To his horror, he tripped right into Luke fon Fabre, the son of the man he hated above all else in this world. Oh, but he smelled nice. Much better than the piglet between them.

“H-hey!” Luke exclaimed. “Haven’t you ever been standing up while riding a train before? You’re supposed to hold on to something!”

Those eyes were really close now, too. They didn’t look half bad. And was that a blush forming on the rich kid’s face? That was pretty cute…

Shaking his head, Guy scrambled to his feet, immediately grabbing a ring to help keep his balance. “S-sorry. I was a little distracted.”

“Obviously,” Luke huffed. “How distracting is it to say your name?”

“Oh, right!’ Guy said, licking his lips as he caught his breath. “It’s Guy. My name’s Guy. Nice to meet you, Luke fon Fabre.”

To his surprise, the spoiled nobleman smirked at him. “Guy...I think I like you.”

He could feel his face heat, though inwardly he cursed. This was not how he should be reacting around the son of the man who had murdered his family. He should be angry. He should hate this guy. He should most definitely _not_ be smiling right now. _Especially_ not genuinely.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to endure it for long. The doors opened, and the announcement of the stop brightened Guy’s face with a relieved smile. He waved to the spoiled rich kid as he stepped out.

“Sorry, this is my st-”

“Wait!” A hand on his shoulder froze him in the doorway, and one of the bodyguards handed him a card. “Come by and visit. That’s the place I’m staying. It’s boring, so… I need a local showing me around.”

Guy blinked, glancing over his shoulder to see Luke fon Fabre smirking. And blushing. Show him around? Was he serious? Guy was too busy with other duties to -

“S-sure,” he said, the word surprising him as it left his lips, and for some reason he repeated himself to be clearer, too. “Sure, I’d be honored.”

As he stepped off the train, he couldn’t stop thinking of the smile on that guy’s face. The smile and brightness in his eyes. He shouldn’t feel anything. He _really_ shouldn’t. But…

He couldn’t seem to stop himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think one of these days I might explore this AU more, or use more of these prompts for it. Who knows? What do y'all think?


End file.
